A: I received funding to study abroad in China at the Antai College of Economics and Management of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. I am staying at the Xuhui campus, which is located in the French Concession of Shanghai and is conveniently placed to explore the city. While studying abroad, I also wanted to take advantage of the travel opportunities in China. For example, during the fall holiday of Golden Week, I traveled to Chengdu in the southwestern Sichuan province to visit the Oriental Buddha Park and the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Once the semester is over, I am also planning to go to Beijing since I can’t imagine leaving China without having seen the Great Wall or the Forbidden City. 

A: My favorite part about my study abroad was the opportunity to live in a country with a culture so vastly different from anything I had experienced before. Apart from the language, I found something new to discover in every aspect of life, including food, social customs, architecture, national holidays and so much more.

I think it is incredibly exciting to be alive in an age where working, studying and traveling abroad is more accessible than ever and presents a real opportunity to expand our global understanding. However, no matter where we are in the world, I think it is always important to learn from people with cultures different from our own as we begin to navigate our current world and expand our social networks. 

A: The study abroad is primarily helping me with my minor in Chinese. Apart from the language course transferring as one of my requirements, the opportunity of living in China itself is helping me further develop my language skills in Mandarin since I am forced to use it in everyday life. I have also had the opportunity to enroll in economics classes that cover other interests of mine within the subject field. Furthermore, through studying abroad, I have been able to meet and connect with other economics students from all over the world. 

Q: Tell me about your Experiential Learning Experience.

A: I studied abroad in Costa Rica for two months, pursuing the ICADS Summer Internship where I taught English to students in 1st-6th grade! I went to Orosi Valley and taught at La Escuela Alto De Araya. I couldn't be more grateful for the Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship, which is run by a fantastic program that supports undergraduates receiving the Federal Pell Grant and who wish to study abroad.

Q: What did you enjoy most about being in Costa Rica?

A: I enjoyed how kind and welcoming the people were to me! My host family introduced me to many family members and I felt almost like a family member myself! Also, in the small town of Orosi Valley, I made friends so fast as people were so inviting! I could pick up a basketball or soccer ball and start playing with anyone!

Q: How did your experience impact your future plans?

A: This program made me realize that I definitely want a career where I have the flexibility  to travel! When I arrived at UB as a freshman, I had no interest in traveling at all. Whenever I heard the words, “study abroad,” I would immediately think that this doesn't apply to me. Maybe it was because I thought I didn’t have the money, or just because I had no reason to go. But once I started becoming fascinated by cross-cultural psychology, I knew I absolutely had to travel.

Q: What was your favorite thing to experience and gain more knowledge on?

A: It is definitely the culture of Costa Ricans, or even Latin Americans in general. I would journal about my daily observations and interactions, and even do informal interviews with locals about what they value. I found that religion, respect, and family were three common values. For example, for religion, Catholicism was an important part of many Costa Ricans’ lives. In Orosi Valley, there were religious statues around almost every corner! Seeing such dedicated Catholics inspired me.

A: With my funding, I was able to travel to Philadelphia and participate in the Summer Undergraduate Mentored Research (SUMR) Program at the University of Pennsylvania. This experience allowed me to work with several faculty mentors and gain exposure to different areas of health economics/health services research. 

A: Getting to refine my technical research skills and practice with presenting were both very helpful aspects of my experience. I also had the opportunity to meet some great friends as part of the experience. 

A: This experience has helped me to further my preparation for earing a PhD in economics by furthering my exposure to academic research. This will make my transition to a doctoral program much easier. 

Q: You recently worked as a Citizen Archivist for the Guildford Court House Revolutionary War Pension Project. How did that relate to your studies?

A: I am currently researching 18th and 19th century American history and my experiential learning opportunity deals with transcribing Revolutionary War pension files. Through these files I have been able to learn extensively about the 18th century American pension process and much about the war itself. I also have gained much insight into the lives of ordinary people and their families which is something that is often not shown in history, espericlaly at the high school level.  

Q: How did this project differ from a standard internship?

A: It was mainly different in regard to the independence I had. Transcribing can be a very difficult process due to factors such as poor handwriting, faded words, and even uncommon language. Due to this, people are allowed to come up with systems and implement others in order to transcribe as effectively as possible. There were guidelines and helpful tools that were given but many of the issues I ran into I solved with my own processes.  

Q: Is there a specific story you can share from your experience you enjoyed?

A: There was one file that was particularly interesting as the soldier and his family personally knew President Andrew Jackson, at the time General Jackson. The soldier had difficulties obtaining a pension as he did not keep the required documentation and could not remember the names of his commanding officers. However, Jackson vouched for the soldier which granted him the ability to receive a pension.  

Q: Tell me more about your experiential learning that you got to do with your funding?

A: Before I even applied for colleges, I knew that studying abroad was something I really wanted to pursue. Keeping that in mind, I was able to save money by commuting all four years of college and living fairly close to the school while maintaining a minimum wage job. This was my first time in Europe, so I really wanted to experience the culture to the best of my ability. I learned a bit of Italian before going and took a few cooking classes and many tours while I was abroad in order to experience the culture. Throughout my time in Italy, I learned many valuable things that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. I learned a lot about myself, especially with how independent I became while exploring a different country and adapting to new social norms and ways of life. It’s important to remain open minded and respectful of other cultures.

 Q: What was your favorite part about it? 

A: My favorite part was being able to go on little day trips and explore more beyond Florence and how cultures can differ even if you’re a few hours away from a specific location. It was interesting to experience how different people have their own traditions and norms.

 Q: How is it helping you with your studies? 

A: It helps me understand differences in cultures and adapt to changes whether it’s academic, job, or travel related. It also allowed me to become more open minded about everything and consider all different opportunities and options while appreciating everyone's different backgrounds and traditions when crossing paths.

Q: How was Italian dance different from American dance?

A: I went to see a ballet: Fondazione Mascarade Opera, Reunited in Dance: Simbiosi. I’ve grown up learning the Cecchetti method of ballet (Italian style) and Balanchine (American) but it was interesting to see how intricate and precise each dance was. It was also noticeable that the ballerinas focused on seamless transitions throughout each movement, along with rapid footwork. They had a live orchestra which was something I had never experienced on stage before.